


A Long Way from Home

by Lilachigh



Category: Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-12
Updated: 2012-11-12
Packaged: 2017-11-18 12:52:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/561257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilachigh/pseuds/Lilachigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A snippet from John's future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Long Way from Home

A Long way from Home

John Walker hit the water hard, plummeting down through it’s icy depths, black, blacker, the cold taking his breath, his pain and his memory. He fought his way to the surface – he must have fallen overboard from Swallow – what was Swallow? – but it was night and he’d promised not to sail in the dark again – except they did when they went to Holland, although they hadn’t meant to go to sea.

He fought for breath, automatically kicked off his sea-boots – why was he wearing boots? Susan would be so cross that he’d lost them. Who was Susan? And turned to float on his back.

Above was the night sky – the stars Titty knew by name. Who was Titty? Now the dark was broken by flames, explosions, men shouting, screaming. And then – silence. 

The sea was calm – black, smooth and icy cold. He hardly felt the thud from the small lifeboat as it hit his shoulder. He gazed at the wooden planks above his head, reached up an arm to pull himself up and slid back into the sea, knowing he didn’t have the strength to clamber in. No, better just to float along on his back….he was comfortable now, sleepy…

“Jib-booms and bobstays, Captain John! Get in the boat. It’s not that difficult. Why, Roger could do it with one hand tied behind his back!” It was Nancy’s voice. Who was Nancy? Who was Roger? But one thing he did know, he wasn’t a Captain, he was a mere Sub-Lieutenant, the lowest rung on the naval ladder.

But the voice was insistent. He had the oddest feeling it was one he had often listened to before and it would not let him rest, driving him on to make a final effort to haul himself out of the bitter water. Finally he lay on his back, protected from the wind, gazing up as the sky lightened from black to grey and the stars went out. He found himself wondering if this was how Sinbad had felt before he was rescued. Who was Sinbad?

At last the sun heaved itself up from the deep. The thud, thud, thud of an engine pierced his mind – Roger – his brother! Memory flooded back. He found himself smiling. Engines! Yes, that young man would say this was a very good time to use one - and John was gazing up at a cloudless, pure blue sky by the time the rescue craft found him.


End file.
